Great Barrier Reef Marine Park — Attraction in Queensland

The Great Barrier Reef is known as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It is believed to be one of the most incredible places on this earth. This reef is the largest living organism on this planet and the only living thing on earth visible from space (2011). The warm waters of the southwest Pacific Ocean are the perfect environments to create the world's largest system of coral reefs. The Great Barrier Reef is in such pristine condition that it was listed by the World Heritage Trust as a protected site and is therefore, managed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to ensure that its beauty is maintained for many travelers and sightseers (Edgar 2010). Due to the complexity of this natural phenomenon, human practices have led The combination of these environmental factors has led to some of the most beautiful colors that can only be found in the many corals that live here. Additionally sediments, twice as old as the reef, indicate that the region was once above sea level (Lunar). The sheer enormity of the Great Barrier Reef, in addition to its great age, are two of the most well-known features of this natural phenomenon. It is composed of living coral, dead coral, algae, sponges, fish, snakes and thousands of other species, both plants and animals (2011). Currently, no evidence has been discovered as to when the first human contact occurred at the reef, but the Aboriginal population may have been the first, due to their occupation of Australia for over 40,000 years (Lunar). Human use and tourism is one of the main reasons the Great Barrier Reef is such an astounding place. The reef consists of more than 400 different kinds of corals, over 1,500 species of fish, and over 200 types of birds (2011). The tourism industry is a major contributor to the local and Australian economy. The range of activities for tourists include day tours, overnight and extended tours, snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, whale watching, helicopter tours, and other services that...

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CHECK THIS OUT The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,300 kilometres (1,400 mi) over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres (133,000 sq mi). The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia. The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms. This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps. It supports a wide diversity of life and was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981. CNN labelled it one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The Queensland National Trust named it a state icon of Queensland. A large part of the reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which helps to limit the impact of human use, such as fishing and tourism. Other environmental pressures on the reef and its ecosystem include runoff, climate change accompanied by mass coral bleaching, dumping of dredging sludge and cyclic population outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns starfish. According to a study published in October 2012 by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the reef has lost more than half its coral cover since 1985. The Great Barrier Reef has long been known to and used by the Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and is an important part of local groups' cultures and spirituality. The reef is a very popular destination for tourists, especially in the Whitsunday Islands and Cairns regions. Tourism is an important economic activity for the region, generating over AUD$3 billion per year. In November 2014, Google launched Google Underwater Street View in 3D of the Great...

The Great Barrier Reef is 2300 kilometres of living coral which is located on the north-east coast of Australia. It is home to marine life including sea turtles, manta rays, reef sharks and many colourful fish. It is an Eco-Tourist hotspot. There are many organized tours which depart from cities and towns along the coastline where the Great Barrier Reef is situated. You can go to see the Whitsunday Islands in a seaplane and circle over Heart Reef, a heart shaped coral arrangement. You are then dropped off at a coral lagoon nearby where you can snorkel around the Great Barrier Reef. Getting back on the seaplane you are flown to Whitehaven Beach, a seven kilometre stretch of beach with pure white silica sand. There are many diving tours available such as diving to see the wreck of the SS Yongala which sits 28 metres below the surface on the sandy ocean floor. This is considered one of the best dive sites in the world. The ship sank in 1911, it is 110 metres long and it is now a home for sea snakes, turtles, manta rays, sharks and many...